Plant Min Zone: 6a
Plant Max Zone: 10b
Sunlight: Full Sun, Part Sun, Shade
Water / Rainfall: Average
Soil Quality: Average, Rich
Bloom Season: Summer, Late Summer
Flower Color: Light Pink, Light Purple
Berry / Fruit Color: Purple, Magenta
Spring Foliage Color: Green
Summer Foliage Color: Green
Fall Foliage Color: Green, Yellow
Evergreen Foliage: No
Winter Interest: No
Scented Flowers: No
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Wet-Feet Tolerance: Low
Humidity Tolerance: Medium, High
Wind Tolerance: Medium
Poor Soil Tolerance: Clay Soils, Sandy Soils, Alkaline Soils (high PH)
Height: 3' - 5'
Width: 3' - 5'
Growth Rate: Medium
Service Life: Medium: 3-5 years
Maintenance Need: Low
Spreading Potential: Low
Yearly Trimming Tips: Trim Shrub to Desired Size in Late Winter or Early Spring Before New Growth: Blooms on New Wood.
Plant Grouping Size: Specimen Planting of 1-3, Small Grouping of 3-5
Best Side of House: South Exposure, West Exposure, East Exposure
Extreme Planting Locations: None
Ornamental Features: Long Lasting Fall Color, Multiple Seasons of Interest
Special Landscape Uses: Hedge Row
Possible Pest Problems: None
Plant Limitations: May get Occasional Winter-kill, Needs Thick Winter Mulch
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), native to Southeast US including Oklahoma and Missouri, is one of the most unique and attractive shrubs for berry production. Considered a three-season shrub, green foliage emerges in spring with attractive clusters of tiny pink flowers in summer. Big conglomerates of fruit clusters occur along the stem at evenly spaced intervals. Bright purple in color, the fruit is very effective through the month of October and November in our Zone 6a Kansas climate. Fall foliage is bright yellow often contrasting with the purple berries in November. By the following spring, winter kill to the ground will almost always occur as temperatures regularly drop to 0 degrees F or below. Cut to a few inches off the ground as you would with a perennial. You may choose to do this rejuvenation anyways in Southern areas if it has not been done in a few years to increase fruit production on vigorous new growth. New shoots create fountain-shaped shrub 3-4' after rejuvenation. Flowering occurs on new wood so you will always have berries when using this method. Purple berry clusters are highly ornamental and eaten only very slowly (never stripped clean) by birds. In southern parts of its range, full to part shade is best. However, full to part sun is recommended in zone 6 to maximize energy production needed from the sun in a shorter growing season. Mild drought is tolerated at the expense of dropping fruits if it gets too dry. Our plants in the display garden survived the winter of 2021 with temperatures reaching -16 degrees F coming up reliably from the ground each year. Overall, this is a great "woody perennial" for the Kansas landscape that is unfortunately often underused.